Water treating system



Nov. 8, 1960 R. J. cLEARY WATER TREATING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Shani. 1

W w @w'g yriam 43 Nov. 8, 1960 Filed Nov. 16, 1956 R. J. CLEARY I WATER TREATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent WATER TREATING SYSTEM Robert J. Cleary, 8028 Stevens Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn.

Filed Nov. 16, 1956, Ser. No. 622,589

7 Claims. (Cl. 210-30) This invention relates to an improvement in a water treating system and an improved structural arrangement therefor. More particularly the improvement relates to an adjustable control system for automatically producing measured amounts of brine from a portion of a stored supply of relatively dry salt, having no free moisture or prepared brine solution ready for use. The brine is simultaneously prepared under conditions of atmospheric pressure as it is required at periodic intervals, utilizing controlled rate of water flow irrespective of pressure and under simple economic automatic valve control requiring no check valves while maintaining normal water pressure in a water system during regeneration.

Heretofore, automatic regenerating systems have required a supply of stored brine which is prepared or replenished at the conclusion of each regeneration period. Otherwise at periodic intervals a given amount of salt is completely dissolved to carry out a regeneration. In the first case the storing of the brine, which is corrosive, and the encrustation by capillary action causes malfunctioning and ineflicient operation. In the second instance, regeneration is dependent upon manual labor and inclination. Any of the known methods and structural arrangements provided therefor are not entirely satisfactory and particularly the automatic structure which bridges and forms a hard blockage which prevents proper formation of a stored brine solution.

Accordingly, it is an object of this improvement to provide a completely automatic water treating system wherein a controlled water flow at controlled time increments produces measured amounts of brine from a relatively unlimited sal-t supp-1y simultaneously with regeneration or an apparatus cleaning operation.

Another object of this improvement is to provide a method of regenerating a water softener with measured amounts of freshly prepared brine at uniform intervals.

An additional object of this improvement is to provide a multiple flow control valve assembly automatically operable to a neutral position when converting raw water to treated water and also in neutral position during regeneration with the multiple flow controls automatically positioned by applying the fluid pressure to opposite sides of a piston with the fluid flow being directed by a directional valve synchronized with the position of the multiple flow control valve assembly.

Another object of this improvement is to provide a multiple valve assembly for a water treating arrangement wherein a hard water flow valve and a treated water flow valve are synchronized with a pair of additional valves for positioning a directional flow valve.

A further object of this invention is to provide a directional flow valve control and system forfluid flow permitting a single one way control valve to direct the fluid pressure to re-port multiple flow valves from one neutral position for water treatment to another neutral position for apparatus cleaning and at the same time cause fluid flow to simultaneously produce a measured amount of brine,

"ice

while synchronizing additional flow to efiect apparatus cleaning by withdrawing -the brine as it is formed and after the apparatus cleaning operation returning the multiple flow valves to a neutral position of water treatment.

Another object of this improvement is to provide an automatic water softening system utilizing a single valve in conjunction with synchronized directional flow control valves in cooperative relationship to start regeneration and terminate regeneration while maintaining water pressure in the household water system.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view with a partial cross-sectional view showing the fluid flow control system and valves therefor in a water treating position.

Figure 2 is a view of the structure and arrangement of Figure 1 showing the fluid flow valves in a regenerating position.

In the following description similar elements will be similarly indicated.

With reference to the diagrammatic view of Figure l, the salt container 10 and water treating tank 11 are tanks of conventional character. The salt container 10, open to atmospheric pressure, is provided with a water inlet conduit 12 and brine outlet conduit 13. The water treating tank 11 is a pressure vessel provided with a hard water inlet conduit 14 and a treated water outlet 15 in associated relationship with a fluid pressure control system, as hereinafter described.

The control of fluid flow through conduits 12, 13, 14 and 15 is obtained by valve assembly and arrangement A in conjunction with a directional fluid flow valve B through which a directional flow of water is obtained from valve 16. The water treating system is supplied with water from a hard water conduit or connection 18, with conduit or connection 19 being an outlet for treated water.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the valve and flow assembly is shown in an operative condition for treating raw water.

In this operative condition the raw water flow from conduit connection 18 enters through the side wall of the assemb-ly'casing A and passes through an opening 21 (one only being shown) in the sleeve valve 22, thence into conduit 14, and into tank 11 wherein the water is treated. Valve 22 is provided with sealing rings 23 and 24 which when the valve is raised form a seal on each side of the opening 21 and as shown in Figure 1 provide a seal for fluid flow from conduit 18 to opening 21. A third seal ring 24' on valve 22 serves to seal fluid flow from drain 20 in cooperative relationship with seal ring 24.

The treated water is then withdrawn from the tank 11 via outlet conduit 15 and out through sleeve valve 25, to pass from an opening 26 (one only being shown) at the top'of valve 25. A conduit 27 connects the outlet provided by the sleeve opening 26 with an internal chamber portion 28 within casing A whichserves to pass treated water from conduit 15 to outlet 19. For example, outlet 19 may lead to a household water system (not shown), wherein the tank 10 contains sodium chloride and the tank 11 a zeolite for softening water as it passes from hard water inlet 18 to outlet 19 in the fluid flow passageways, as described. The valve 25 is provided with a pair of spaced seal rings 29 and 30 which provide a seal on each side of opening 26 and in the position, as shown in Figure 1', aifords a fluid seal for fluid flow from opening 26 to conduit 27. An additional sealing ring 30 serves to provide, inconjunction with seal ring 30, a fluid flow seal relative to brine inlet conduitor con nection 34. Drain outlet conduit or connection 20 leads, vfrom the side wall of easing A I j i While the flow system is in a water treating operation, a cross head 31, which is attached to shaft 32 mounted on piston 33, supports a plurality of cooperative fluid flow control valves 22 and 25, as heretofore indicated, and 35 and 36 in a raised position. The valves 22 and 25 are identical in structure and each are provided with one or more side openings 21 and 26, respectively, which open into the sleeve valves serving as fluid passageways open at their bases 38 and 39, respectively. The upper portions 40 and 41 of valves 22 and 25 close the tops thereof and provide stems having enlarged head and neck portions 43 and 44 which slide and are fitted into notches or apertures 45 and 46, respectively. The base of the valve body A is provided with a plurality of bores 47, 48, 49 and 59 serving as fluid flow conduits in which the valves 22, 35, 36 and 25 operate, respectively. The walls of the bores 47, 48, 49 and 50 provide lands against which sealing rings on the valves 22, 35, 36 and 25, respectively, seal to provide control of fluid flow, as hereinafter and hereinbefore described.

The valves 35 and 36 are attached to the cross-head 31 by stems 53 and 54 provided with head and neck portions 55 and 56 which slip into notches or apertures 57 and 58, respectively, in cross-head 31. The neck portions of the head and necks 43, 56 and 44 are short and narrow for close cooperation with the movement of cross-head 31 and the neck portion of head and neck 55 is elongated for a cooperative relationship with cross-head 31, as hereinafter described.

With cross-head 31 in raised position and sealing ring 61, on valve 36, the bore 49 is closed from fluid flow and pressure in chamber 28. Simultaneously valve 35 is open, affording fluid pressure through bore 48 connected to conduit 65 and to the chamber 66 at one end of directional flow valve B. A sealing ring 67, on the base of valve 35 closes the end of bore 48 to the outlet 20, with the valve 35 in the raised position. By reason of the absence of fluid pressure in bore 49, which is connected by conduit 68 with chamber 69 at an end of directional flow valve B, opposite to the chamber 66, there is no pressure in the chamber 69. The directional flow valve B directs fluid flow. This directional flow is provided by a chambered casing 81 containing the piston assembly 82. The piston assembly 82 is provided with a valve disc 83 which alternately connects conduit 85, from solenoid valve 16 with conduit 87 or conduit 88.

By the positioning of the cross-head 31 in a raised position the piston assembly 82 will be in the position as shown in Figure 1. In this position, there is illustrated one operative neutral position wherein conduit 65 isopen to pressure in chamber 28 and this pressure is transmitted to chamber 66. A sealing ring 89, at the end of piston 82 seals this pressure in the chamber and valve disc 83 is thereby positioned to connected conduit 85 with conduit 87. The conduit 85 is normally without pressure when valve 16 is closed. Sealing ring 84 prevents leakage of fluid pressure.

Likewise, there is no pressure in conduit 87 which is connected from chambered casing 81 by conduit 91, into a bore 92, forming a part of casing A, and above the piston 33. The conduit 87 is also connected through an automatic rate of flow control valve 94, to the conduit 12. A plate 95 separates the flow chamber 28 from the bore 92. The plate 95 is provided with a center opening through which shaft 32 extends from cross-head 31 to piston 33 and a sealing'ring 96 seals the pressure in chamber 28 from bore 92. The conduit 88 is connected through the side of easing A into the bore 92 at the underside of'piston 33 and also through a conduit 97 and a rate of flow control valve 98 to the drain conduit 20.

While the same program may be carried out manually it is preferred that at a desired periodic interval, an automatic time clock 100 be programed to carry out a regeneration or cleaning operation of the apparatus. With solenoid operated valve 16 closed, as described, and-be ing constantly under fluid pressure of from chamber 28 transmitted through conduit 101, immediately upon the opening of valve 16, fluid pressure and fluid flow occurs through conduit into chambered casing 81. The conduit 87 being open and in communication with the inflow of fluid pressure transmits the pressure simultaneously to the top of piston 33 and the rate of flow control 94 allows fluid flow at an automatically regulated rate into conduit 1.2. The conduit 12 is centered into the top of salt storage tank 10 and the open end fitted with a spray nozzle (not shown) which uniformly distributes a flow of water over a body of stored salt. The brine forms immediately as the water passes through the salt and collects into the bottom of the salt tank.

At the same time the pressure applied at the top of piston 33 starts the piston 33 down and moves cross-head 31 towards a down position. This causes a positive downward movement of the pistons 22, 36 and 25. Any fluid contained under piston 33 passes out through conduit 88, rate of flow valve 98, conduit 97, into drain 20. Sealing ring 37 prevents leakage of fluid pressure.

As sealing ring 23 moves down, passageway 18 is opened to chamber 28 permitting water flow to pass from inflow conduit 18 into the chamber 28 without any loss of pressure. Simultaneously, the sealing ring 29 is moved down in the same relationship as sealing ring 23 until they both travel to a point past the respective and relative inflow conduit 18 and the outflow conduit 27 to shut off the pressure in chamber 28 from the conduits 14 and 15. As piston 33 continues to move the valve 22 down, window 21 becomes aligned with drain outlet 20 and opens the tank 11 to atmospheric pressure.

At the same time, window 26 is aligned with conduit or port opening 34, preparatory to receiving a brine which.

is being prepared in salt container 10. During the time of the movement of sleeve valves 22 and 25, the valve 36 has likewise moved until the sealing ring 61 moves into the enlarged diameter portion 103 of bore 49. This causes fluid pressure to pass through conduit 68 and into chamber 69. A sealing ring 104 on the end of piston assembly 82 permits pressure to be built up in the chamber 69. However, with the back pressure in conduit 87 exerting a pressure on valve disc 83, having a relatively larger cross-sectional surface area than the end of piston 82, maintains the piston assembly 82 in the stationary position shown in Figure 1.

Simultaneously with the build up of pressure in conduit 68, a fluid flow is obtained in conduit 108, connected to bore 49. The conduit 108 is provided with an automatic rate of flow control 109 connected through conduit 110 with venturi 111. The venturi acts in a conventional manner to draw the freshly prepared brine from tank 10 through conduit 13 and out through conduit 112 into port or conduit 34. From the port 34 the brine passes through opening 26, down through valve 25 and into the tank 11 via conduit 15. This salt brine cleans the zeolite and is passed via conduit 14, valve opening 21 and into the drain 20.

Meanwhile the valve 35, as a delayed action valve, has remained stationary due to its elongated narrow neck portion 53 which allows the cross-head 31 to move downwardly until the cross-head 31 contacts the upper shoulder 106 of the valve 35. Piston 33 is still moving down with the cross-head 31 now bearing against shoulder 106 to move seal 114 into bore 48 and cut ofl the pressure from chamber 28 to conduit 65. Following which, seal 67 has been moved down to open the passageway 65 to the drain 20 and drain the pressure from chamber 66.

At this stage the piston 33 and its associated crosshead 31, including the valves 22, 35, 36, and 25 come to rest and are in a neutral position, as shown in Figure 2. Further, the direction flow valve is still held in place as shown in Figure 1. Up to this time the whole operation from the initial opening of the valve 16, it

. a has taken about 12 to 15 seconds to accomplish the above steps in the process.

Now, the valve 16 is held for an additional length of time that it takes to furnish tank with a desired amount of water to make up the fresh supply of brine. By the proper program on a timer control a flow of water for a given interval will dissolve a given quantity of salt from the relatively unlimited supply of stored salt.

At the proper time the valve 16 is closed to stop the flow of water into tank 10. The back pressure in conduit 87 which has been exerted against valve disc 83 is released and piston assembly 82 is moved, the pressure being exerted in a chamber 69 and the valve disc 83 takes a new position connecting conduit 88 with conduit 85 through the centered fluid passage chamber of casing 81. Now the system is entirely in another neutral position, the regenerating operation.

With the valve 16 closed, no more water flows into the salt tank 10 and from the chamber 28 water continues to flow through the venturi 111. This causes the tank 10, to be cleared of all of the freshly made brine and in addition draws a flow of air through the salt, drying it, and pushes the salt brine and flushing water from the zeolite tank.

Having permitted such time as required to withdraw the brine and force a suflicient quantity of flushing water through tank 11, then Valve 16 is reopened allowing a fluid flow through conduit 85 into conduit 88 and into the bore 92, beneath piston 33. Any excess of fluid in conduit 88 is passed by the rate of flow control 98 and conduit 97 into drain conduit 20.

The raising motion of piston 33 and associated crosshead' 31 simultaneously lifts the valves 22, 36 and 25 automatically closing the passageway 49 and re-porting the openings 21 and 26 with the conduits 18 and 27, respectively. The valve 35 is a delayed action arrangement which controls a repositioning of the directional flow valve assembly 82. In this delayed action the crosshead slides along the length of valve stem portion 53 until it picks up the head 55 to lift seal 67 and seal 48, closing the opening of conduit 65 to the drain outlet 20 and then opening seal 114 to reconnect the pressure of chamber 28 into conduit 65 and chamber 66. As the piston 33 is moved upwardly the slight amount of fluid remaining above piston 33 is squeezed into conduit 87.

The controls having been returned to a neutral water treating position, the valve 16 is closed. Upon closing of valve 16 the fluid pressure in chamber 66 can now move the piston assembly 82 to reconnect the conduits 85 and 87, in their original starting relationship and a neutral position of valve assembly A and direction flow control B.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in water treating system, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a water treating system in which water to be treated normally flows through a bed of water treating material and is withdrawn into a treated water system, the method of revitalizing the bed of water treating material with a freshly prepared brine solution consisting in interrupting the flow of water to the water treating material and directing the flow of untreated water to the treated water system, simultaneously directing water to a quantity of stored relatively dry salt, maintaining the flow of water to the stored salt for a predetermined time period to produce a measured quantity of brine, removing the brine from the salt and directing the brine through the water treating material, simultaneously drawing air through the salt and directing flushing water 6 through the water treating material to wash out the brin therefrom for a predetermined time period, and restoring the flow of untreated water through the water treating material, the steps being sequential where described.

2. The method of claim 1 and in which the step of drawing air through the salt acts to dry the remaining salt.

3. A water softening system including casing means forming a first bore, a piston reciprocably disposed within said casing, first means for introducing water under pressure into said casing at one end to force said piston in one direction, second means for introducing water under pressure into said casing at its other end to force said piston in an opposite direction, means defining a manifold chamber provided with an outlet for connection to a domestic water system, a cross-head disposed within said chamber and mechanically connected to said piston for movement in unison therewith, a water treating tank, said casing means having second and third bores extending between said manifold chamber and said water treating tank, a first conduit for supplying hard water to said second 'bore, a second conduit for draining water from said second bore, said first and-second conduits connecting with said second bore being intermediate the ends thereof with said first conduit being nearer said manifold chamber, a salt container, a conduit connecting said second water introducing means to one end of said salt container, a conduit leading from said third bore to said manifold chamber, a conduit connecting the other end of said salt container to said third bore, said conduit leading from said third bore to said manifold chamber being nearer said manifold chamber than said conduit that is connected to said salt container, a piston valve disposed in said second bore and connected directly to said cross-head for blocking passage of water from said hard water conduit to said drain and from said hard Water conduit to said manifold when said piston is at said one end but to permit flow of water from said hard water conduit to said water treating tank, said piston valve providing communication from said hard water conduit to said outlet from said Water treating tank to said drain of the casing, a second piston valve disposed in said third bore and also connected directly to said cross-head for preventing water flow to said water treating tank but to permit flow of water from said water treating tank to said manifold chamber when said piston is at said one end but to permit flow of water from said water treating tank to said manifold chamber so that softened Water may flow through said chamber and exit via said outlet, said second piston valve permitting flow of water from said salt container to said water treating tank when said piston is at its said other end, said casing means also having a, fourth bore providing communication between said manifold chamber and said drain, said fourth bore having a passage intermediate its ends connected to said second water introducing means for activating same so as to supply water under pressure to force said piston in said opposite direction when water is permitted to enter said passage, a third piston valve disposed in said fourth bore having an elongated stem passing freely through said cross-head and having an enlarged head at its free end so that said cross-head will pull said third piston valve into a position to permit water to flow from said manifold chamber to said passage in the actuation of said second water intro ducing means when said piston is at said other end, said stem permitting said piston to almost reach its said one end before blocking said passage when said piston is moving insaid one direction, said casing means having a fifth bore communicating at one end with said manifold chamber, said casing means providing a second passage connecting the other end of said fifth passage to said first water introducing means for actuating same so as to supply water under pressure to force said piston in said one direction when water is permitted to enter said second passage, and a fourth piston valve disposed in said fifth bore and connected directly to said crosshead for blocking passage of water from said manifold chamber to said second passage when said piston is at said other end and permitting passage of water to said second passage when said piston is at its said one end.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which said first and second Water introducing means include a directional fluid flow valve actuated in one direction by water pressure supplied via said first passage and in an opposite direction by water pressure supplied via said second passage.

5. The structure of claim 4 including a conduit extending from said manifold chamber to said fluid flow valve, said fluid flow valve directing water under pressure received from said manifold chamber to said one end of the first bore when said piston is at said other end and to said other end of the first bore when said piston is at its said one end.

6. The structure of claim 5 including a time operated valve in said last-mentioned conduit.

7. The structure of claim 6 including an ejector device connected in the conduit extending from said salt container to said third bore and in which said casing means additionally provides a third passage extending from said other end of the fifth passage to said ejector device for actuating same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,744,867 Webb May 8, 1956 1,745,563 Turner Feb. 4, 1930 2,245,767 Eickmeyer June 17, 1941 2,722,514 Sloan Nov. 1, 1955 2,744,867 Webb May 8, 1956 

1. IN A WATER TREATING SYSTEM IN WHICH WATER TO BE TREATED NORMALLY FLOWS THROUGH A BED OF WATER TREATING MATERIAL AND IS WITHDRAWN INTO A TREATED WATER SYSTEM, THE METHOD OF REVITALIZING THE BED OF WATER TREATING MATERIAL WITH A FRESHLY PREPARED BRINE SOLUTION CONSISTING IN INTERRUPTING THE FLOW OF WATER TO THE WATER TREATING MATERIAL AND DIRECTING THE FLOW OF UNTREATED WATER TO THE TREATED WATER SYSTEM, SIMULTANEOUSLY DIRECTING WATER TO A QUANTITY OF STORED RELATIVELY DRY SALT, MAINTAINING THE FLOW OF WATER TO THE STORED SALT FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME PERIOD TO PRODUCE A MEASURED QUANTITY OF BRINE, REMOVING THE BRINE FROM THE SALT AND DIRECTING THE BRINE THROUGH THE WATER TREATING MATERIAL, SIMULTANEOUSLY DRAWING AIR THROUGH THE SALT AND DIRECTING FLUSHING WATER THROUGH THE WATER TREATING MATERIAL TO WASH OUT THE BRINE THEREFROM FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME PERIOD, AND RESTORING THE FLOW OF UNTREATED WATER THROUGH THE WATER TREATING MATERIAL THE STEPS BEING SEQUENTIAL WHERE DESCRIBED. 